Events

A loss of coolant accident (LOCA) at the Oregon State TRIGA Reactor would cause a host of problems for the university, none more impactful than exposing the general public to elevated exposure levels. This project calculates the dose at certain time and distance intervals from the OSTR in the case of a complete loss of water above the core. The most recent exposure measurements in the OSTR Safety Analysis Report from 2004 incorporate the scattering effects from the reactor room ceiling but do not include any potential exposure from the skyshine effect. The skyshine effect is the scattering of particles off of air at angles which raise the dose at ground level. A 2010 simulation of skyshine from a LOCA at Oregon State concluded that exposure could exceed 20 mrem/hr at certain distances from the facility wall, but those calculations included several assumptions that could have adversely affected the final results.

Due to the current uncertainty regarding exposure levels outside the reactor facility for an accident at the OSTR, it is difficult to identify an acceptable limit to the public at this specific reactor. The current exposure limits set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission only offer a reference number which is significantly higher than a reasonable limit for the OSTR. Ultimately, this design project will identify reasonable exposure levels and will contribute more accurate numbers to the discussion of where a limit should be set in the case of a loss of coolant accident at the OSTR or other similar research reactors.